Eyes of Silver
by Klaykid
Summary: Lilith, ranked twenty-seven in the Organization, has believed life would play out the same until her eventual death. It wasn't until she met Clyde that the world she previously thought was simple, was much more than meets the eye. [Original Characters][Alternative Universe][Mature Themes]
1. Welcome to Mazel

Soon the bright rays of the sun will bring much needed warmth to the village of Mazel. After many months of cold winter the residents were ready to begin sowing the fields for new crops. The houses were once covered in thick white mounds of snowfall turning the once green world into a dead white wasteland. Not a soul dared to venture into the white world in fear of disappearing. It goes back to an old fable of the White Walker. A creature who was once a man now possessed by a demon. In the winter months the White Walker roams the woods searching for human flesh to eat. They say whole village would disappear in the blink of an eye with only a single set of footprints leading out, the only sign of the White Walker.

Hassan is not a man for superstition nor is he a man who believes in the supernatural. He had his son, daughter, and wife to care for with no room for falsehoods. The man placed on his winter coat and rubbed his beard in anticipation of the outside cold. His wife approached him and tapped his shoulder.

"Where are you going at this hour?" she asked.

"Samel asked for me and a few others to meet him near the storehouse. It wont be long."

His wife sighed for a moment and gave her husband a tight hug.

"Be careful."

"I will."

Hassan opened his door and pressed into the unforgiving cold of the night.

* * *

The village's storehouse held many things from dried meats in barrels to hordes of fruits and vegetables in various bins. Nuts and beans were contained in jars and stocked in the shelves alongside mushrooms and many flower species. Five men stood in a circle. Their breaths created soft clouds which drifted from their nostrils and chattering mouths.

The chief of the village glanced around the storehouse making sure all heads were present as well as making sure no 'extras' were present. The large double wood clad doors were locked from the inside with a heavy pad lock and chains around the handles. The men thought the chief was going mad until they discovered the purpose of the gathering.

"There's a yoma in the village."

The four other men all gasped silently as the sentence rang in their head. They've heard stories from travelers about villages who suffered from yoma problems. But never had they imagined they would be a part of this never ending horror story. Just another village who's legacy will be that of destruction and horror.

"That's a mighty big accusation, sir," spoke Samel. "You have any proof of this?"

"Bickle. Found him dead last night with his guts eaten."

The men all looked at one another for a moment before turning to the village chief.

"Seriously? Did you inform Sophia about-"

"No. Not yet, not until we can take care of this problem."

"Well, why just the four of us? Why don't you tell the entire village?" asked Kendal.

The chief began to get annoyed with the constant questions. He called these men here because he trusted them. He trusted they would use common sense, and above all, they would trust his decisions. With a yoma running wild in the village, trust in one another is vital to survival. And at the same time, it could cause a village's downfall.

Yoma are considered the deadliest and unholiest creatures to ever walk the face of the world. These creatures feast upon the flesh of human beings. Men, women, children, young, and old, it didn't matter much to the creatures. These beasts had the ability to take on the visage of humans they consume. One could be living with a yoma and never know it.

"You know what we have to do," spoke the chief.

The four other men all swallowed anticipating the next words to come out of the chief's mouth.

"We need to hire a claymore."

The men all sighed.

"So we're going to have those silver-eyed witches roaming around the village, huh?" growled Samel.

Hassan tried to calm his friend down by patting his shoulder.

"Look, Samel, you know the claymores are more than capable of slaying the beast."

"I just don't like it!" hollered Samel. The chief motioned for Samel to lower his voice.

"Still, I don't like the thought of those _things_ wandering around the village. They don't solve shit all. Every single village who's ever hired a claymore has not seen a single year of piece. The yoma _always_ come back and they blindly continue to pay them off. The next thing we know it, all our gold is gone and we will have more yoma up our collective asses than-"

"Enough, Samel, this is the best thing we can do for the moment. The longer we hesitate the more people will die. And I will not hear any more of this," growled the chief.

The chief unlocked the double doors allowing the men to leave.

"Not a word to anyone," spoke the chief. "Not about Bickle. Not about the yoma. Not about the claymore."

The men all nodded, some more hesitantly than others, and left the storehouse with more baggage than they came in with. Hassan, himself, was more worried than every before. Having a wife and two children at home, his sense of security dwindled with each step as he walked towards his home. He would have to be mindful of his neighbors and even more careful of his friends.

Hassan entered his home and took off his coat. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of a warm fire trying to warm himself up. In reality, he sought solace for his troubled heart. Alicia, his little girl, walked up to him with sleepy eyes. Hassan picked up his little girl and placed her on his lap.

"What are you doing up this late?" he asked stroking his daughter's hair.

"I heard you come in, papa. Where did you go?" she asked.

"Just went out for a walk, sweetie. Nothing much."

Hassan smiled and rubbed his daughter's head. The two just sat there watching the fire dance in the oven. The pieces of wood popped and crackled as the embers consumed the bark. The slight smell of spice lingered in the air along with baked bread. Alicia fell asleep in her father's arms.

The loving father lifted his sleeping daughter and gently carried her towards her bedroom. He tucked the small child in her sheets and lightly kissed her forehead. Hassan walked back and stood in the doorway to marvel at the sight of his sleeping daughter. Dread filled his heart. The halcyon days of this little village was over.

* * *

"Oh God... Kendal..."

"Stay back! Stay back!"

"What could have done this?"

"His insides are all gone! What kind of madman would-"

"A yoma! There's a yoma in the village!"

Hassan stood with his young daughter and son hand in hand near the town square among many others. Hanging from the fountain in the middle of town is the body of Kendal. His body looked to have been tortured and his entrails missing. It was a clear picture for those who could follow the trail. The yoma had found out that they hired a claymore a few days ago. Killing Kendal was most likely not a coincidence. It knew the men responsible.

"Alicia. Cable. Close your eyes," said Hassan. He quickly led his children away from the scene.

"Hassan!" hollered Samel. The man came running up to Hassan from behind. His eyes looked tired and hallowed, his voice raspy and strained. It was obvious that Samel had a long couple of days.

"First Rickerson, now Kendal, what do we do!" he hollered.

"Keep your voice down!"

Hassan turned to his children. "Quickly! Go home to your mother."

His daughter relented at first, holding onto his hand tighter than before. But Hassan was firm in his orders. Both his son and daughter hurried down the street and out of sight. He then turned to Samel who was busy looking around at the many faces in town, silently accusing the villagers of being flesh eating creatures from Hell itself.

"What do we do Hassan!"

"It's fine, it will be fine, okay? Look, the chief sent the letter, they should be here in no time."

"What about my wife? What if that monster comes after my wife?!"

"Then you stay by her side at all times. Trust no one and always keep your guard up."

"Yeah... yeah... right..."

Samel turned to look behind him and scrambled for his home. Hassan couldn't blame him.

"Chief, what are we going to do?" hollered a villager.

The chief rubbed his temples knowing well enough that he is going to have to let the cat out of the bag.

"A claymore is coming," he spoke. The village fell silent. Turns out that is all he needed to say to shut their collective mouths up.

Hassan ran down the village now mostly empty since the villagers are gathered about the town square. His chat with Samel had him worried about his own home. Ahead of him he could see that the door to his house was knocked off of its hinges. It felt like something heavy dropped in the pit of his stomach. His legs shook intensely threatening to collapse at any moment. He closed his eyes for a moment to make sure he wasn't seeing false visions. He took a big breath and released. Nothing changed when his eyes opened and he panicked.

The father rushed forwards hollering the names of his wife and children at the top of his lungs. He ran inside to see the furniture and décor torn apart. Blood painted the walls a fine shade of crimson. In the living room he discovered the corpse of his wife.

Hassan fell to his knees before his wife, uncontrollable tears fell from his eyes. He turned her over only to discover that she was partially eaten. He picked up his wife and pressed his face against her. The warmth of her skin meant that the kill is fresh, but it didn't matter to Hassan. Nothing in this world mattered anymore. What he once held dear now remains as an empty body.

He turned his head to see a bloody figure standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He could do nothing but stare at the yoma before him. Glaring yellow eyes of hunger and hatred. The beast licked the blood from its teeth and smiled as it crept further and further towards Hassan.


	2. The Silver Eyed Witch

**Authors Note!**Writing fan fiction is a first for me, so I've taken liberties when it comes to the _Claymore_ universe. There may be typos here and there. Please send me a PM of any grammatical mistakes.

* * *

**Prologue: Welcome to Mazel**

* * *

Soon the bright rays of the sun will bring much needed warmth to the village of Mazel. After many months of cold winter the residents were ready to begin sowing the fields for new crops. The houses were once covered in thick white mounds of snowfall turning the once green world into a dead white wasteland. Not a soul dared to venture into the white world in fear of disappearing. It goes back to an old fable of the White Walker. A creature who was once a man now possessed by a demon. In the winter months the White Walker roams the woods searching for human flesh to eat. They say whole village would disappear in the blink of an eye with only a single set of footprints leading out, the only sign of the White Walker.

Hassan is not a man for superstition nor is he a man who believes in the supernatural. He had his son, daughter, and wife to care for with no room for falsehoods. The man placed on his winter coat and rubbed his beard in anticipation of the outside cold. His wife approached him and tapped his shoulder.

"Where are you going at this hour?" she asked.

"Samel asked for me and a few others to meet him near the storehouse. It wont be long."

His wife sighed for a moment and gave her husband a tight hug.

"Be careful."

"I will."

Hassan opened his door and pressed into the unforgiving cold of the night.

* * *

The village's storehouse held many things from dried meats in barrels to hordes of fruits and vegetables in various bins. Nuts and beans were contained in jars and stocked in the shelves alongside mushrooms and many flower species. Five men stood in a circle. Their breaths created soft clouds which drifted from their nostrils and chattering mouths.

The chief of the village glanced around the storehouse making sure all heads were present as well as making sure no 'extras' were present. The large double wood clad doors were locked from the inside with a heavy pad lock and chains around the handles. The men thought the chief was going mad until they discovered the purpose of the gathering.

"There's a yoma in the village."

The four other men all gasped silently as the sentence rang in their head. They've heard stories from travelers about villages who suffered from yoma problems. But never had they imagined they would be a part of this never ending horror story. Just another village who's legacy will be that of destruction and horror.

"That's a mighty big accusation, sir," spoke Samel. "You have any proof of this?"

"Bickle. Found him dead last night with his guts eaten."

The men all looked at one another for a moment before turning to the village chief.

"Seriously? Did you inform Sophia about-"

"No. Not yet, not until we can take care of this problem."

"Well, why just the four of us? Why don't you tell the entire village?" asked Kendal.

The chief began to get annoyed with the constant questions. He called these men here because he trusted them. He trusted they would use common sense, and above all, they would trust his decisions. With a yoma running wild in the village, trust in one another is vital to survival. And at the same time, it could cause a village's downfall.

Yoma are considered the deadliest and unholiest creatures to ever walk the face of the world. These creatures feast upon the flesh of human beings. Men, women, children, young, and old, it didn't matter much to the creatures. These beasts had the ability to take on the visage of humans they consume. One could be living with a yoma and never know it.

"You know what we have to do," spoke the chief.

The four other men all swallowed anticipating the next words to come out of the chief's mouth.

"We need to hire a claymore."

The men all sighed.

"So we're going to have those silver-eyed witches roaming around the village, huh?" growled Samel.

Hassan tried to calm his friend down by patting his shoulder.

"Look, Samel, you know the claymores are more than capable of slaying the beast."

"I just don't like it!" hollered Samel. The chief motioned for Samel to lower his voice.

"Still, I don't like the thought of those _things_ wandering around the village. They don't solve shit all. Every single village who's ever hired a claymore has not seen a single year of piece. The yoma _always_ come back and they blindly continue to pay them off. The next thing we know it, all our gold is gone and we will have more yoma up our collective asses than-"

"Enough, Samel, this is the best thing we can do for the moment. The longer we hesitate the more people will die. And I will not hear any more of this," growled the chief.

The chief unlocked the double doors allowing the men to leave.

"Not a word to anyone," spoke the chief. "Not about Bickle. Not about the yoma. Not about the claymore."

The men all nodded, some more hesitantly than others, and left the storehouse with more baggage than they came in with. Hassan, himself, was more worried than every before. Having a wife and two children at home, his sense of security dwindled with each step as he walked towards his home. He would have to be mindful of his neighbors and even more careful of his friends.

Hassan entered his home and took off his coat. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of a warm fire trying to warm himself up. In reality, he sought solace for his troubled heart. Alicia, his little girl, walked up to him with sleepy eyes. Hassan picked up his little girl and placed her on his lap.

"What are you doing up this late?" he asked stroking his daughter's hair.

"I heard you come in, papa. Where did you go?" she asked.

"Just went out for a walk, sweetie. Nothing much."

Hassan smiled and rubbed his daughter's head. The two just sat there watching the fire dance in the oven. The pieces of wood popped and crackled as the embers consumed the bark. The slight smell of spice lingered in the air along with baked bread. Alicia fell asleep in her father's arms.

The loving father lifted his sleeping daughter and gently carried her towards her bedroom. He tucked the small child in her sheets and lightly kissed her forehead. Hassan walked back and stood in the doorway to marvel at the sight of his sleeping daughter. Dread filled his heart. The halcyon days of this little village was over.

* * *

"Oh God... Kendal..."

"Stay back! Stay back!"

"What could have done this?"

"His insides are all gone! What kind of madman would-"

"A yoma! There's a yoma in the village!"

Hassan stood with his young daughter and son hand in hand near the town square among many others. Hanging from the fountain in the middle of town is the body of Kendal. His body looked to have been tortured and his entrails missing. It was a clear picture for those who could follow the trail. The yoma had found out that they hired a claymore a few days ago. Killing Kendal was most likely not a coincidence. It knew the men responsible.

"Alicia. Cable. Close your eyes," said Hassan. He quickly led his children away from the scene.

"Hassan!" hollered Samel. The man came running up to Hassan from behind. His eyes looked tired and hallowed, his voice raspy and strained. It was obvious that Samel had a long couple of days.

"First Rickerson, now Kendal, what do we do!" he hollered.

"Keep your voice down!"

Hassan turned to his children. "Quickly! Go home to your mother."

His daughter relented at first, holding onto his hand tighter than before. But Hassan was firm in his orders. Both his son and daughter hurried down the street and out of sight. He then turned to Samel who was busy looking around at the many faces in town, silently accusing the villagers of being flesh eating creatures from Hell itself.

"What do we do Hassan!"

"It's fine, it will be fine, okay? Look, the chief sent the letter, they should be here in no time."

"What about my wife? What if that monster comes after my wife?!"

"Then you stay by her side at all times. Trust no one and always keep your guard up."

"Yeah... yeah... right..."

Samel turned to look behind him and scrambled for his home. Hassan couldn't blame him.

"Chief, what are we going to do?" hollered a villager.

The chief rubbed his temples knowing well enough that he is going to have to let the cat out of the bag.

"A claymore is coming," he spoke. The village fell silent. Turns out that is all he needed to say to shut their collective mouths up.

Hassan ran down the village now mostly empty since the villagers are gathered about the town square. His chat with Samel had him worried about his own home. Ahead of him he could see that the door to his house was knocked off of its hinges. It felt like something heavy dropped in the pit of his stomach. His legs shook intensely threatening to collapse at any moment. He closed his eyes for a moment to make sure he wasn't seeing false visions. He took a big breath and released. Nothing changed when his eyes opened and he panicked.

The father rushed forwards hollering the names of his wife and children at the top of his lungs. He ran inside to see the furniture and décor torn apart. Blood painted the walls a fine shade of crimson. In the living room he discovered the corpse of his wife.

Hassan fell to his knees before his wife, uncontrollable tears fell from his eyes. He turned her over only to discover that she was partially eaten. He picked up his wife and pressed his face against her. The warmth of her skin meant that the kill is fresh, but it didn't matter to Hassan. Nothing in this world mattered anymore. What he once held dear now remains as an empty body.

He turned his head to see a bloody figure standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He could do nothing but stare at the yoma before him. Glaring yellow eyes of hunger and hatred. The beast licked the blood from its teeth and smiled as it crept further and further towards Hassan.


	3. The Man From Hanza

A woman with silver eyes sat in front of a roaring fire. Her knees were pulled up to her chest with her face buried in her arms. She tried to think about calming scenes from the woods, the voices of joy and laughter, the smell of the fresh air after a light morning rain, and the taste of her last meal. Memories of the bright golden wheat fields of Fienza filled her mind with delight. The sweet and juicy taste of an ripe golden apple.

Every so often Lilith would partake of his reflective ritual to bring her back into the realm of humanity. Initially it was used to remind her that being human is a better alternative to being a monster. Eventually it became a guilty pleasure taken in absolute isolation. Not a soul knew of her ritual save for her handler, Szar. Should her fellow warriors find out about her isolation, they would deem Lilith a lost cause. A warrior bound to the temptations of awakening.

"An afternoon delight?" came a voice.

Lilith lifted her head to see her handler with crossed arms lean against a tree. His black clothing disguised him in the dark of the night. Were it not for his pale skin, the man would have blended perfectly in the shadows of the moon. He had such a curious look about him. He looked to be an older gentleman in his late thirties to early forties. His face wrinkled and ruined from countless years of a physically demanding occupation. His eyes had a sullen look to them as if he hadn't slept in weeks and his white hair was cropped backwards in a tight bind. When he spoke, his voice echoed deep into the darkness of the forest with a deep and raspy tone.

"There's another job for you."

"Already? It hasn't been a day since the last one."

"I didn't take you for the complaining type."

Szar stood up straight as Lilith placed her armour on.

"Hanza has requested a slaying. A day's trek from here, nothing too fancy. I'd say about one or five are in the village."

That was Szar's style. Short, sweet, and to the point with facts leaving no room for small details. The man turned to leave, and just before he disappeared into the dark wilderness, he casually turned his head to give Lilith a quick smile.

"Oh, and there's a man going around trying to kill yoma. I suggest you hurry before he gets himself killed."

And with that, Szar disappeared into the abyss. Lilith grabbed her sword and strapped it to her back. She stared at the roaring fire for a few moments reflecting Szar's words. The idea of a human taking on a yoma surprised her. Though it is not unheard of that a human can kill a yoma, it certainly is a rare sight. If the man managed to kill any yoma, Lilith would be certain to give him a pat on the back.

* * *

Lilith arrived in the village of Hanza with little trouble. The buildings looked relatively new compared to the surrounding settlements. The bricks seemed new and the mortar barely looked more than two years old. As usual the villagers avoided all contact with the woman save for the village elder who greeted her at the gate.

"Y-You're the claymore... right?"

"_Who else would it be?_" thought Lilith.

The woman sighed at the monotony of the situation. She grew tired of the repetitive nature of yoma hunts. It is almost laughable how nearly every single hunt is the same.

"Claymore is a name you humans-"

"Oi! Yoma! Get out here'n face me like a man!"

Both Lilith and the village elder turned their heads to see a man wave a sword around in the middle of the road. He wore light metal armour and brandished an odd looking sword with a curved blade. The weapon in hand is rather large like a sword but curved like a sickle. He looked battle scarred but had a very... _moronic_ expression etched on his face. His determination seemed to be out of ignorant courage than battle hardened bravery.

Lilith raised her brow and turned to the elder who just shrugged.

"Yes... this _gentleman_ has taken up residence here for a few days."

The elder sighed heavily, his frustration nearly palpable.

"He claims to be a yoma hunter. I think he is just a madman."

Lilith cracked her knuckles and closed her eyes for a few moments to reflect on her next move.

"When the job is done a man in black will come to collect the fee. If I die, payment is not necessary."

Lilith pressed forwards towards the crazed man with a condescending look on her face. She walked up to the man, and though he stood a few inches above her head, her posture and body tone demanded attention and respect. The man stopped waving his sword and turned to face Lilith with wide eyes. He sheathed his blade and leaned forwards so that his face and Lilith's were only centimetres apart. He quickly reeled back when his hazel eyes caught a good sight of her silver eyes.

The man had a faint taste of yoki in the air around him, but the amount was so pathetic he couldn't possibly be a yoma. And if he is, then he would be better off dead. Perhaps the yoma in the village was toying with him, lingering around the guy like a wolf in sheep's skin. How close has this man come to death?

"Woah," he whispered.

"Stop what you're doing. Pack up. Go home," spoke Lilith.

"No way, missy. I'm on a hunt, ya' see, a yoma hunt. I ain't goin' back 'till I find the one-winged demon."

Lilith cocked her head in confusion and raised a brow. Was this madman serious? The claymore placed her hands on her hips maintaining that condescending facial expression she is known for. Her silver eyes scanned the man briefly.

He stood six feet three inches compared to her height of five feet nine inches. His dark coloured hair is cut short and he maintained a well trimmed beard that reached from his sideburns lining his jaw. His armour isn't as thick as the standard issue pieces claymores get. In fact, it looked hand crafted out of iron, steel, and leather which would explain why it fit his body frame perfectly. There wasn't any symbol or indication of where he came from. But his armour was heavily marked with claw marks and deep lacerations. No sword could make such a deep cut, no animal could make such a fine slice.

"You are no match for a yoma, I'm giving you a chance to save yourself now. Leave before you get killed," warned Lilith.

The man kept his bearing.

"Sorry, missy, like I said, not until I kill me the one-winged demon."

The claymore sighed in frustration. She bit her lip as she thought about ways to incapacitate the man so she can go about her business. But a faint taste entered her mouth. She turned away from the man and began to smell the air. She opened her mouth and held out her tongue for a moment. The man looked at her with curious eyes. He breathed in the air the same way Lilith did. The man couldn't taste anything, but Lilith did.

"_The beast is close,_" thought Lilith as she drew her sword.

The man jumped backwards and did the same, excited that the yoma was bound to appear. He could feel the tension in the air, it practically made the hair on his skin stand. The yoma is coming.

"Oi! Claymore! We'll let you go if you give us the annoying one!" hollered out a voice.

From a single house came five ordinary looking men. Their bodies rapidly transformed taking the shape of a monster with greyed skin, yellow eyes, claws the size of knives, and mouths which hungered for blood. This is a nest.

"Come at me," smirked Lilith.

All five yoma charged the claymore bearing both teeth and claws. Two rushed the front with two flanking Lilith by her left and right side. The claymore twisted and turned mimicking dance moves. Her sword slashed through the air sending a powerful gust of wind knocking down the two yoma at her front. Lilith jumped back and guarded well against the flanking yoma with her sword. She quickly brought up her right leg and kicked one of the creatures off of her and head butted the other.

Lilith turned around to look for the fifth yoma only to find it engaged in combat with the crazed man. He did well to guard himself against the creature's attacks, but the yoma had managed to get a good number of strikes in as blood flowed from his wounds. Lilith moved to engage but a yoma had moved in her way. It swiped at her forcing the claymore to back off.

"Damn it all," she cursed under her breath.

Lilith raised her sword high above her head and sent another gust of wind at a single yoma. The yoma busied itself with dodging the attack, it didn't notice Lilith coming at its right flank. The claymore skewered the yoma's skull and pulled downwards splitting the creature in two. Blood splattered all over the warrior in a brief geyser.

The remaining yoma were intimidated, but their courage comes from the assurance that numbers will prove them the victor. How wrong they are. Before they could make another move, Lilith appeared before them in a quick flash. She decapitated one yoma and diced the arm of another. The wounded yoma roared in anger and charged Lilith, extending its remaining claw. But it did little to impede her advance. Lilith simple stepped to the side as she charged forwards. In one movement she cut off both of the yoma's legs and then impaled the creature by the head with her sword.

The remaining yoma scrambled to its feet and attempted to run away. By the time Lilith pulled her sword from the ground, the yoma had made good distance between itself and her. Lilith pulled her sword back and aimed carefully. She held her breath, focused her sight, increased the strength in her right arm, and threw her blade.

The sword flew through the air like a bolt fired from a crossbow, piercing through the wind with little resistance. A second after the throw, the blade went through the yoma's chest cavity. Snapping bones and tearing flesh echoed in the empty air. Lilith faintly smiled as her blade met its target. She would have celebrated her kill, but she remembered that one more yoma remained.

The warrior turned around to see both yoma and the crazed man collapsed on the ground. Puddles of blood formed underneath both. Lilith rushed to the man's side and kneeled down before him. She placed two fingers on his wrist to check for a pulse.

"That was brutal," moan the man.

He sat upwards holding a large wound on his left arm. While Lilith took the time to bandage him, he began to observe her features more closely. His eyes went up and down examining her figure and her face as if he recognized her. He seemed to get more delight in it as opposed to Lilith who contemplated breaking the Organization's rule of not harming humans.

"You, I recognize you" said the man. "Wow, you claymores don't age."

Lilith walked over to the fallen yoma. Using her boot she kicked over the corpse to inspect the creature. The man certainly got lucky in killing this beast. Should the other warriors get word about this Lilith wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Back when I was a lad, in some po-dunk village, I saw ya' come walkin' in. All pretty and everythin', pale hair, eyes'a silver, the whole works. Few days pass and you were gone. Just like that."

The claymore ignored the man and started her trek out of the village. Lilith was certain that Szar would give her a stern talking to, having lost a target to a normal human being of all things. And with that comes the possibility that she would lose her rank and get lowered into the early thirties of all things. Everyone knows that when a claymore gets reduced in rank her credibility goes down the drain.

Sounds of footsteps and snapping branches reached Lilith's ears. She stopped in her tracks and drew her sword. Once again the claymore used her yoki sensing ability to taste the air, but she didn't get a whiff of any yoma. Instead she smelled the blood of a human. A particular human with an odd accent who speaks too much for his own good. The crazed man had followed her.

"Go back," spoke Lilith. She strapped her sword on her back and flipped her hood over her head.

"Ya' killed my parents, ya' know."

That seemed to stop the claymore.

"I forget how old I was, but I never forgot the look on ya' face when ya' slayed them in cold blood. I didn't know they were monsters, I just thought, ya' know, they were normal. Even though they were mosnters I still loved 'em."

The man placed his hands on his hips and lightly bit his lip. He seemed to have an internal struggle as he searched for the next words he wanted to say. Lilith already suspected what he wanted to do. Take revenge for the killing of his false parents. Perhaps he knew in advance that yoma was in the village and sent the slaying request. Lucky for him Lilith had appeared.

"I know, crazy ain't it? Lovin' a creature who ate my real parents, but who knows. Maybe they ate 'em a long time ago back when I was a babe. Maybe they were recently eaten, possibilities are there. Point is, I vowed to take revenge on the woman who killed 'em."

And there it is. Now what? Is the human going to test his mettle against a warrior of the organization? He certainly has no chance up against Lilith's calibre of fighting. But he had tenacity which can prove to be the most dangerous. Lilith can't harm a single hair on his head, and he couldn't land a single hit on her either. But he will continue to press on with attacks.

Lilith turned around to face the man head on.

"So I took to travelin'. Figured I would meet up with one of ya' claymores sooner or later. I've come across many of ya', but I always had your face in mind. Been travelin' for so long I nearly forgot about why I left the village in the first place. Along my travels I saw 'em, yoma that is. Monsters they all are. I watched town after town get devoured by 'em."

"Are you still seeking revenge for your parents?" asked Lilith.

"No... not anymore."

_That is a surprise._

"I hate those damn things, yoma that is. I never realized the justice ya' did me so many years ago. Not much because of an admiration or anything, but because those things need killin'."

"What do you want from me?" said Lilith with a raised brow.

"I want to travel with ya', kill them yoma. Waddya' say?"

"No."


End file.
